Recommendation points
- Features of water supply from a well
- Prevailing impurities in well water
- How to disinfect water from a well
- Passive disinfection measures
- Active disinfection measures
- Ultraviolet disinfector (UVD)
The article will tell you about what problems can arise when using well water to supply water to a country house. You will learn about harmful and dangerous impurities, about their relationship with the depth of the well. The article provides guidelines for assembling a UV disinfector and lamp prices.
The well is arranged when the groundwater level (GWL) allows it. At a depth of up to 8 meters, the well construction is justified – this is an additional opportunity for year-round water intake, which does not require electricity and pumps. At a greater depth of the GWL, a well is arranged – in fact, the same well, but so narrow that water can only be raised from it with a special pump.
Features of water supply from a well
Rule # 1.The higher the GWL, the less pure the water will be. This is due to a smaller layer of soil and soil, which filters harmful impurities.
Dependence of water quality on the GWL depth:
- From 2 to 12 meters. Water can contain impurities of heavy metals – mercury, lead, chromium, zinc, cobalt, nickel, etc., as well as pesticides and nitrates. Testing in the laboratory is mandatory.
- From 12 to 35 meters. Water may contain harmful impurities and compounds that accumulate in the body – salts, oxides, chlorides, etc. Checking in a laboratory is recommended. In other words, such water does not pose a clear threat to the body, but its long-term use in unfiltered form can develop health problems..
- More than 35 meters. Safe water (dining room). When taken from a depth of 60 meters, it can have medicinal properties.
Rule # 2.If you bought a plot with a well, do not trust the stories of neighbors and locals about the “amazing quality” of local water. Only the SES laboratory will give an accurate and objective answer to this question..
Rule No. 3.The composition of the water in the well is constantly changing. It depends on many factors, but in practice it means one thing: be prepared to adapt to these changes. Choose from disposable serviceable multifunctional filters and have different cartridges ready for them.
Due to the shallow depth, the wells supply us with low purity water – in it you can even find traces of the activities of industrial enterprises located in the district. Only wells located in areas remote from civilization can boast of crystal purity and safety. Therefore, water treatment is not a luxury, but a necessary need..
Prevailing impurities in well water
Since the well, due to the design features, is the most easily accessible water intake structure for pollution, literally anything can get into it. Here is a rough list of the most common problems:
- Metal salts – due to constant oxidation processes taking place in the soil (soil), also from industrial enterprises.
- Bacteria – they are everywhere there is liquid.
- Fertilizers and pesticides – from agricultural activities in the area.
- Fecal penetration * (also bacteria) – if there is at least one ground septic tank or barnyard within a radius of 100 m.
* Contrary to the associations, such products are colorless and odorless, but can lead to severe poisoning.
If your area has a reputation for being environmentally friendly, do not rush to endlessly trust underground water sources – they can bring impurities along underwater rivers for many kilometers. Next, we will look at how to cope with the primary task – water disinfection..
How to disinfect water from a well
Bacteria, fertilizers, pesticides, traces of feces, viruses, yeast, mold, protozoa are the deadly enemies of human health. Problems with them can appear even with an insignificant amount of organic impurities – after all, the water is constantly in the well and its complete replacement can be stretched over time for months. A banal mold forms on the walls of the well, the water takes on a greenish tint and an unpleasant aftertaste. The appearance of these properties is a signal for action that water needs to be disinfected.
The primary (passive) method of disinfection is the maintenance of the wellbore. In this sense, a well is no different from any other container. Disused and neglected, it will supply water teeming with infections.
Passive disinfection measures
Cleaning the walls of the well from the formations of the fungus. Do not wait until the walls turn green completely, the pause between cleanings is 1 year. If this is a summer cottage, uninhabited in winter, clean the walls at the opening of each summer season.
Wall repair. Water wears away a stone – it’s about a well. Sealing of chips and seams can be carried out simultaneously with cleaning.
Bottom cleaning, filter layer replacement. At least once every 5 years.
Well cover. Prevents accidental trash from entering the trunk.
Active disinfection measures
The simplest and most reliable method is chlorination. It can be done in two ways.
Direct (“manual”) chlorination. Adding a solution of bleach in a ratio of 800 ml per 1 cu. m of water.
Chlorine cartridges. These are cylindrical perforated containers that add the disinfectant composition to the water in an “automatic” mode. Such a cartridge is constantly under water and continuously disinfects the well. The use of such a device must be coordinated with the SES and, in general, entrust this work to them, since the subtleties of the water composition greatly affect the “settings” of the cartridge.
The effectiveness of chlorination is so undeniable that this technique is still widely used in countries that are commonly called economically developed. This method is simple, cheap and reliable, but it involves a change in the composition of the water..
Ultraviolet disinfector (UVD)
However, there is also a modern method of disinfection – it is completely safe, since there is completely no risk of accidental overdose of reagents. In order to make water safe, it is necessary to influence it with a dose of ultraviolet radiation from 25 to 40 mJ / cm2. Such irradiation kills 99.9% of known bacteria, leaving the beneficial properties of water unchanged..
In fact, UVD is a quartz lamp with a length of 240 to 950 mm and a diameter of 60 to 220 mm, integrated into a column or tube-shaped body that has a threaded inlet and outlet.
The main indicator of UVD is productivity. It is calculated before purchasing the device, based on the volume of water consumption. The following three indicators directly depend on performance – product dimensions (weight), energy consumption and price.
Benefits:
- Non-contact processing. The device has no moving parts that impede the flow of water, does not give additional load on the pump.
- Disinfection takes place without additives to water.
- Installed into the system at any stage – most often inside the house, in the boiler room.
Disadvantages:
- System head required.
- Volatility.
Such a device can be assembled by hand. It is based on a quartz lamp. All that needs to be done is to install it in a sealed vessel (flask, cylinder, pipe) and ensure the flow of water, passing it through the lamp. The table will help you to choose the right lamp parameters based on the needs of the house..
Table. Dependence of lamp indicators on water consumption
Productivity, l / hour Power, W Number of lamps, pcs. Dimensions diameter / length, mm Price, cu e. 50 6 1 63×235 65 235 12 63×305 80 455 sixteen 63×305 115 1350 25 63×555 210 1850 thirty 63×865 270 2250 35 63×950 290 2700 55 63×950 300 5450 110 2 109×950 660 5450 110 109×950 * 1540 8250 165 3 109×950 920 8250 165 109×950 * 1750 11500 220 4 134×950 1200 11500 220 134×950 * 1900 21500 440 8 220×950 * 2700 31000 660 12 220×950 * 3500 * Models include an electrical box (cabinet).
Primary disinfection of water from a well should become the norm for a lover of a summer residence or an owner of a country house. Even if you do not carry out additional purification and filtration, the use of disinfected water with hard impurities during one season will save you from serious consequences for the body. But if you neglect this stage, there is a high probability of getting poisoning, which can lead to hospitalization. In the next article we will talk about the further stages of water treatment of well water.
I found this text about water treatment for a country house and it mentions disinfection of water in a well. However, I’m wondering what are the most effective and efficient methods of disinfecting well water? Are there any specific considerations or treatments recommended for country house wells compared to urban water systems?
How effective is water disinfection for a country house well? What methods can be used to ensure safe and clean water supply for domestic use in rural areas? Are there any specific considerations or challenges unique to treating well water compared to other water sources for a country house?